Tina wrote in message
Does anyone else think it's exceptionally slow to wait three and a
half hours after a head injury with symptoms (sleeping, uneven gait,
pain moving around her head) in a child with a bleeding disorder to
get a catscan? I'm still angry (obviously), but I don't know how
angry to get, if I complain. That nurse definitely lied, I know that
for sure. Maybe, even though the hematology department called ahead,
the nurse wasn't aware of the full extent of the clotting issue?
Should I have documents prepared to take with me in the future? If
you do think it was a long time, what would you do next time? (Last
head injury we waited about the same amount of time, but she had no
symptoms, so I wasn't near tears, really) . Does anyone know, if she
had been bleeding inside her head, would that amount of waiting made
things worse -- or is there anything that could have been done in that
time to lessen an injury if there was one? Or is it like some things
where if it's going to happen it's going to happen, and there's no
stopping it? In which case, why do they send us for catscans?!?

Thanks for reading, and any opinions/advice,

Tina.

This is horrible an inexcusable. I'm a critical care nurse, and I'm seeing
red right now. Your child should have been first priority. Yes, a delay
could have certainly been detrimental had there been bleeding in her head.
I would document EVERYTHING while it's fresh in your head regarding times
and what you said to the triage nurse. I would also call the nurse manager
in the ER *today*, and if that gets you no where, go directly to the vice
president of nursing in the hospital. The fact that the hematologist was
rightly concerned is your backup. He of course would be noncomittal on the
length of time it took for you to be seen, but maybe he is doing something
about it quietly.

I do want to say that while there may have been minor issues with the kids
in the waiting room, you don't know what kinds of emergencies were brought
in by ambulance. Those always get first priority and people in the waiting
room never even see those patients. However, your daughter still should have
received prompt care.

laurie
mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years
and Christopher, 5 months

*This email address is now valid*
(and the still sleepy, kind of grumpy but OK Solana, and Sage, who
loved school and almost didn't notice that I'd just tossed her in
there and run back out)